The present invention relates to fishing lures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wire frame for spinner-type fishing lures having significant flexibility and shape memory as well as tensile strength.
This invention relates to improvements in spinner-type fishing lures. Artificial fishing lures are available in a wide variety of types, however, an exceedingly popular type of fishing lure is called the xe2x80x9cspinner baitxe2x80x9d. This type of fishing lure emphasizes the use of a spinner to increase the attractiveness of the lure to fish. The spinner is normally formed as a substantially separate part of the lure, that is, the typical spinner bait is formed of a wire body having two arms that extend in a V-shape with the fishing line or leader attached to the wire body at the intersection of the two arms. The two arms, usually formed of a single length of stainless steel wire, extend at an acute angle relative to each other. The typical spinner bait has a body secured to one of the arms and a fish hook extending rearwardly from the body. The other arm of the spinner bait has one or more spinners attached to it. The typical spinner bait is designed so that when it is pulled through the water the spinner arm is vertically positioned above the body arm. A fish is attracted to the moving lure by the dramatic effect caused by the rotating, flashing spinners that rotate above the lure body which is fixed to, or is a part of, the frame body arm.
In recent years spinner baits have become exceedingly popular and have consumed, according to some reports, between 40 to 60% of the fresh water artificial bait market in the United States. The effectiveness of a spinner bait appears to reside in its ability to attract fish to the dressed hook. More specifically, the increased action, vibration, sound and flash produced by a spinner bait, compared to other types of artificial lures, seems to account for the spinner bait""s success.
Substantially all of the spinner baits manufactured and sold in the United States and around the world today have a frame made of stainless steel wire which is a popular material for use in forming the frame of a spinner bait because of its ready availability, economy, strength and resistance to corrosion. However, spinner baits having a wire frame made of stainless steel have certain disadvantages and limitations and it is an objective of the present disclosure to provide an improved spinner bait having advantages that make the improved spinner bait substantially superior to commonly available spinner baits that are made with a stainless steel wire frame.
Thus, there is a need for improved materials for use in the construction of fishing lures. Such materials must be flexible and have appreciable shape memory. These materials should also have a relatively high tensile strength and be resistant to corrosion.
The present invention provides a fishing lure, characterized by high flexibility and shape memory, having a lure frame formed of an elongate wire which, in one preferred embodiment, is bent at an intermediate point forming a bight portion, so as to form two arms which extend divergently from said bight portion to respective outer ends. The elongate wire may be formed of an integral wire. At least one fish attracting element and at least one fish hook is secured to the elongate wire. The at least one fish attracting element is mounted to the wire for rotation about the wire.
In another embodiment of the fishing lure the elongate wire includes an eyelet at one end, two bends of about 90xc2x0 each along the length thereof so as to form a Z-shaped dog leg, and with the one fish attracting element and the one fish hook being attached to the wire on the side of the dog leg opposite the eyelet.
The elongate wire comprises an alloy having superelastic properties such that the wire has a flexibility and shape memory substantially greater than that of stainless steel. In a preferred embodiment, the elongate wire comprises at least about 40% titanium and may further comprise about 50 to 60% nickel, with other metals not exceeding about 5%. The tensile strength of the elongate wire frame is at least about an order of magnitude equal to that of stainless steel wire of equal diameter. The shape memory of the elongate wire frame is at least about three times that of stainless steel. The elongate wire also has a flexibility that is at least 50% greater than that of stainless steel such that the outer ends of the arms of the fishing lure can be deflected towards each other with a force that is no greater than about 50% of the force required if the elongate wire frame were formed of stainless steel wire of equal diameter.
A fishing rig characterized by high strength, flexibility and resistance to kinking, is also provided. The rig comprises a lure comprising an elongate wire, at least one fish attracting element secured to the wire, at least one hook secured to the wire, and wherein the wire comprises an alloy comprising at least about 40% titanium. The rig further comprises a leader comprising a wire-like member having opposite ends, each of the opposite ends including a loop, with the lure being attached to one of the loops of the leader, and wherein the wire-like member comprises an alloy comprising at least about 40% titanium. In one specific embodiment, the alloy of the wire of the lure comprises at least about 40% titanium and at least about 50% nickel, and the alloy of the wire-like member of the leader comprises at least about 40% titanium and at least about 50% nickel. A snap-swivel may be provided for rotatably joining the one loop to the lure. A swivel may be attached to the other of the loops, and so that the fishing line may be attached to the switch.
Accordingly, there has been provided a spinner-type fishing lure having significant flexibility and shape memory. The spinner-type fishing lure is constructed of an alloy having an appreciable tensile strength.